Life of Guangzhou - Millions Struggle to Deal with Drought's Wrath

A once-in-a-century drought that has spread to some Southwestern and South Chinese provinces has resulted in a shortage of drinking water for millions of people and livestock, the Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday.

Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi and Chongqing are among the worst-hit regions and provinces, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Guizhou Province in Southwest China recently declared a drought emergency, saying 86 out of 88 cities within the province are drought-hit regions, where more than 17 million people are suffering from water shortages, the report said.

Villagers in the Qianxi'nan Autonomous Prefecture of the province have to line up to get water after some rivers dried up one month ago due to the dangerous drought.

"The river has never dried up, ever," a villager was quoted as saying.

"The water was around four meters deep, but now, there is not even enough water for livestock to drink."

The drought also hit South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where over 1.7 million people and 870,000 livestock struggle to find water.

The amount of rainfall in Yunnan Province between September 2009 and March dropped about 60 percent compared with previous years.

Meteorological officials in Yunnan said Tuesday that the hot temperature would continue in the coming months and there are few signs that rain is coming.

The officials said the drought in some regions is the most serious in 100 years.

According to the meteorological administration in Guangxi, the rainfall in the region has decreased 20 percent so far, and the situation is not expected to improve next month.

The Lijiang River in Guangxi's Guilin, a landmark landscape in the province that attracts over 1.5 million tourists every year, is also feeling the results of the drought.

The maritime affairs bureau in Guilin announced Tuesday that from Tuesday, the tourist boat route in the river would be diverted as the water level continues to drop.

It was not decided when the original route will resume.

To ease the growing crisis, local authorities in the affected provinces and region have earmarked special funds, dispatched relief personnel and water trucks to minimize the impact.

[More China News]